So I heard on t'radio that removal of said device from a vee-hic-ule will result in an instant failure. Did I really hear correctly? Can't see much tinternet chatter on the subject, so maybe it was just a deezol dream.

Plenty of stuff on this in other threads as the news broke months ago, but has died off with no real update after the initial thrashing to death it took.

Any help Steve....https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rules-for-mot-to-test-for-diesel-particulate-filter

Yep, been that way since February.

 

How nice the link from an official government site puts the legality in black and white, though I'm sure someone will be along in a moment saying its fine to do it anyway.

 

Some firms offer services to remove the filter, claiming it will improve the economy. But it is an offence to drive a vehicle that has been modified this way, as it will no longer meet the emissions standards the car achieved when it was approved for sale in the UK.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/319177-dpf-removal-the-legalities/page-5#entry3856041

This one was very interesting reading!

Ah, can of worms well and truly opened. The best thing to do is run a search for 'DPF' for both sides of the argument.

 

Illegal? Probably.

 

Will it fail an MOT? No, not if removed properly.

 

The biggest issue will be insurance, or lack of it with an undeclared modification.

I'm sure I heard (radio 4 last week) that it was now classed as an instant failure if it's been removed from a vehicle that was originally fitted with one, irrespective of any emissions testing.

It's been able to prove that it has been removed.

 

There are two options, one involves removing the DPF and replacing it with a straight through section of pipe. An MOT tester can visually determine that the DPF is no longer present and issue a fail.

 

The second option involves opening up the DPF, removing the internals and resealing the DPF housing. For all intents and purposes the DPF is still present. As the MOT tester is only able to visually inspect the DPF he is unable to prove that the DPF is no longer working as intended and will be unable to issue a fail.

I seem to remember from other threads on this that it is currently a visual check as Silver says but there is a view to brining in an emissions check at some point.

But the pigeonsh#t welding along the bottom of the DPF might be a clue to what has been done!

Isn`t there an emmision test `of sorts` already? They take an opacity measurement and smoke free map or not a DPF deleted car is going to be kicking out a level of smoke that is going to raise high suspicion. My take is,if your DPF is fine then leave bloody well alone.

But the pigeonsh#t welding along the bottom of the DPF might be a clue to what has been done!

 

A proper DPF removal outfit cuts the DPF open from the top so that when it situ it looks as it did before it was removed, i.e. the underside or the side in view from underneath the car looks unchanged.

I seem to remember from other threads on this that it is currently a visual check as Silver says but there is a view to brining in an emissions check at some point.

 

Yes, there is talk of introducing further tests to make it more difficult to pass an MOT without a DPF fitted.

 

However it is unlikely to appear before the last of the PD170 vRS's have long since retired or been left to die in ditches. This is the only Octavia MkII engine to really suffer with DPF issues.

 

It is worth noting that the MOT tester can instantly tell if the DPF has been removed with the results of the soot test.

 

With the DPF fitted all modern diesels register '0' on the test. Without the DPF fitted there will obviously be a higher reading, however as long as it doesn't exceed the limit set for non-DPF equipped engines then the car will still pass.

 

So, even if the MOT tester knows the DPF internals are missing, or that the DPF isn't working as it should be he still can't fail the car as long as the DPF is still attached to the car.